ABSTRACT
The dimensioning of the grain storages structures lacks a Brazilian standard that prescribes about its projects and actions; however, there are many gaps in the current state of knowledge being necessary additional research on the topic. With the objective of determining the load distribution on the foundation of silos, four piles were instrumented through load cells, located under the ring of a prototype silo. The experiment conducted was during the period from August to December 2009 in Palotina, PR. The readings of the cells were performed by an automatic data acquisition system during the loading of maize grain. From the results, a mean transfer coefficient of 0.30 is observed for the ring until the loading of 44% of the silo, from which there was an increase in the transfer rate. The maximum loads acting in instrumented piles were 800, 845, 520 and 600 kN, corresponding to transfer coefficient of 0.48; 0.51; 0.31 and 0.36, respectively. Thus the coefficient regionally adopted of 0.30 for the dimensioning of the foundations of the ring is underestimated, being necessary more thorough examination in transfer rates.
Key words:
storage structures; instrumentation; piles
